Tests And Trials

Sometimes life just hands you a series of tests.  Testing for what?  Oh, I don’t know, that we’re tough enough, smart enough and stubborn enough to get our acts together?  That life isn’t meant to be fair or easy?  That overcoming the difficult situations are the most rewarding and who doesn’t want rewarding, right? 

First, the good news.  Joanna had an extra power plug adapter that she was kind enough to lend my way.  This is why I can post this, and also why I was able to check in on work email for the past hour.  Oh my gosh– interesting stuff going on at work! 

At any rate, we’ve been walking so much just to do, oh, any-frigging-thing, that Gary has developed some serious foot blisterage.  Poor Crumpler.  Since even the subway train doesn’t have a stop less than a mile from the hotel, there’s no avoiding a walk unless we rely completely on expensive taxi services.  So after my sidewalk ride with Joanna & Stacey yesterday where we rode slower than I usually run (which I had a minor crash on a slick curb rock in the rain in front of lots of people it was really super awesome), we walked to the nearest station, knowing that we were time crunched to do all the different things on today’s schedule.  Sort of.  We walked and walked and finally asked someone where to find the station.  In broken English, this dear man led us to the closest station to us at the time, which was not the original target, mind you. 

After getting completely confused with the subway system and somehow making our way downtown, I get in my coldwater swim during our assigned time.  Well, first I thought it would be cool to stub my toe on a rock before I swam, but the swim itself was good.  Cold, but good.  So we hike our way back to the subway with Gary’s blisters and my toe bleeding all over my sock, although I couldn’t feel it because my toes were numb. 

Once at the subway, we think we’ve got our route figured out and proceed to get on the wrong train and start touring other parts of Hamburg.  Great.  We’re already running late for the Opening Ceremony, which I thought started at 6:30pm, now it will be impossible to make.  We finally get back to the hotel after 6:30pm and I’m pretty peeved.  Gary goes off to do laundry (why not do something practical) and I shower, fix some dinner and settle in with the race packet and info I’ve picked up that day. 

So I’m reading through the packet and guess what?  The ceremony started at 8:30pm.  Crap.  I look at the clock.  8:37pm and my dinner’s still cooking.  Whatever…I sigh to myself.  Now my hip and right ankle is sore after all the walking because of landing funny on some cobbles when running the other day. 

So today, I have a 2 mile walk to the official Team USA hotel for the mandatory 11am meeting, only to arrive and find out they decided to change it to yesterday morning.  Cool, how convenient, thought I and all the other Team USA athletes arriving after various tribulations in getting themselves there.  Maybe lemonade can be made from lemons and I can get a massage appointment with the person USAT brought.  I see that there’s a big cost in dollars and I have nothing but 20 euros on me.  Oh well, again.

I walk the 2 miles back and stop at the store to pick up Gary some flippin floppin shoes (that’s made up German for little plastic beach shoes) maybe he can shuffle around in a little less painfully than the other shoe options he brought.  My hip and ankle and lower back are sore.  It’s cold and drizzly out.  Not a joy inducing situation. 

So, to heck with the unique opportunity to watch the U23′s race.  We stay at the hotel and recover.  I even get Gary to massage some of the tight spots so I feel better now, which is important because I mainly came here to race and explore.  Gary’s feet are improved also.  Come to think of it– we have done the exploring part of the goal so far.  I guess be careful what you wish for.  So if this is a test or trial, I’m not entirely sure we passed, but maybe we learned a thing or two.  One thing I have learned is my way around Hamburg a little better.  Anything else?  Sigh…I don’t know.  Ask me later.

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